Return to the Kitchen: How Americans Are Saving Money and Building Resilience

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Something remarkable is happening in American kitchens. As I pull two dozen Madeleines from my oven, I'm reminded that we're witnessing a return to fundamentals — 71% of Americans are embracing home cooking with purpose, saving an average of $91 monthly while building skills that matter.

This culinary renaissance spans all demographics. Families like Sarah's prioritize chemical-free meals for their children, while singles discover cooking as self-care, with more than half learning techniques through social media. The benefits extend beyond health and savings — cooking creates community resilience. In my own Northwoods cabin, I've experienced how homemade treats become valuable currency, bartered for fresh eggs and produce from neighbors. These exchanges strengthen local bonds while providing a hedge against uncertainty.

The heart of this episode is my family's cherished Madeleine recipe — delicate French sponge cakes that are surprisingly simple to master. I walk you through each step, from properly preparing the shell-shaped molds to achieving that perfect golden color. These buttery treats require minimal sugar and basic ingredients, making them an ideal introduction to scratch cooking. Between recipe instructions, I share how my adventure sports lifestyle complements my cooking practice, creating a holistic approac

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Hi friends, welcome to the new normal, Big Life Podcast! We bring you natural news and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside and adventure, along with a step-by-step plan to help you practice what you’ve learned and create your own new normal and live the biggest life you can dream. I’m your host, Antoinette Lee, the Wellness Warrior.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
As two dozen Madelines cool in my kitchen
counter, I reminded that in 2025, families and singles are
cooking whole foods to savemoney.
And if you eat healthier andprepare for uncertainty?
Research shows 71% of Americanscook at home, saving $91 per
month per the Seattle ObesityStudy.
Moms like Sarah prioritizechemical, disaster strikes and

(00:24):
chaos.
Single learned to cook viasocial media.
The odds are cooking again lifeskill and a survival skill,
food and gear.
Folks like emma and me barterhomemade goods.
My try, my family's madelinerecipe.
It's delicate.
Ready hour has a long historyof to start your scratch cooking
journey.
Subscribe to the new mobilenewsletter and podcast wherever

(00:46):
you get your podcasts for morerecipes to thrive in any crisis.
Hi friends, welcome to the NewNormal Big Life podcast.
We bring you natural news andstories about nature that we
hope will inspire you to getoutside and adventure Along,
with a step-by-step plan to helpyou practice what you've
learned and create your own newnormal and live the biggest life

(01:06):
you can dream.
I'm your host.
Antoinette Lee, the wellnesswarrior, as two dozen
Madelaine's cool women kitchencounter reminded that in 2025, a
quiet revolution is simmeringin kitchens across America.
Families, singles andespecially women with children
are embracing whole foods andhomemade cooking to reclaim

(01:28):
health, save money and preparefor uncertain future.
Research backs this shift 71%of Americans plan to keep
cooking at home post-pandemic.
Driven by cost savings, 67%said, and healthier eating, said
56%.
According to a Hunter survey,cooking at home is associated

(01:50):
with better diet quality, notesthe Seattle Obesity Study,
linking frequent home-cookeddinners to higher healthy eating
index scores.
For families, it's aboutnurturing.
I want my kids to grow up withreal food, not chemicals, says
Sarah, a mother of three fromOhio.
Singles are finding self-carein cooking, with 54% learning

(02:13):
recipes via social media.
Per the National Frozen andRefrigerated Foods Association.
Eating out less saves moneyFrequent diners spend $364
monthly versus $273 for homecooks, per the Seattle Obesity
Study.
In rural communities, homemadetreats foster connection.

(02:36):
I trade my sourdough for fresheggs, shares Emma, a Montana
homesteader, and I do the samefor my cabin in the Northwoods.
During the 2020 lockdown,supply chain distributions
reminded us self-reliancematters.
Cooking from scratch equips youto thrive even in a societal
breakdown, and surplus goods canbe bartered To get you started.

(03:00):
I'm sharing my family'sfavorite recipe from Madeleine's
Delicate French sponge cakes.
Baked in shell-shaped molds,they make an elegant low-sugar
morning treat with coffee.
These buttery treats areperfect for sharing with
neighbors or savoring as amoment of self-care.
Before we cover the next topicin this episode, I want to

(03:21):
introduce you to the AdventureSports lifestyle with what I
call a micro story about anadventure that I've had.
The adventure sports lifestyleand my deep connection to nature
is essential to my good health.
So here's the story.
Knowing how to fish from shorein a kayak or motorboat and on a
frozen lake means I'll have asource of fresh, omega-3 rich

(03:44):
fish year round.
I did that.
I hope this inspires you to getoutside and adventure alone
with friends or the people youlove most.
Now back to the show for myfamily favorite madeleine recipe
.
Here's how you make it.
Here's your ingredients list,which you can also download in
the show description using thelink to the New Normal Big Life

(04:09):
blog blog.
Ingredients to make 12madeleines.
You can double it to make 24four tablespoons of butter, two
large eggs, three quarterteaspoon vanilla extract, one
eighth teaspoon salt, one thirdcup of 1⁄2 cup of all-purpose

(04:29):
flour, 1 tablespoon of lemonzest that's just grated lemon
peels and optionally you can use1 3rd cup of granulated sugar
for decoration.
I leave this out because Idon't need the extra sugar.
The equipment you need amadeleine pan it's a
shell-shaped mold.
You can find one on Amazonpretty inexpensively.

(04:52):
A pastry brush for greasing themold.
Flour sifter for flouring themold.
An electric mixer you can alsodo this by hand with a whisk,
but it takes a lot of effort Alarge spoon and a tablespoon.
So here are the directionsPreheat your oven to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit or 190 degreesCelsius and butter and flour

(05:16):
each of your 12 madeleine molds.
Melt your butter and cool it toroom temperature.
Beat your eggs, vanilla andsalt in a mixing bowl on high
until it's light and fluffly.
Gradually add sugar andcontinue beating at high speed
until the mixture is thick.
Lift the beaters out of themixture and pale ribbons should

(05:38):
form after about five to tenminutes of mixing, if not, mix a
little longer.
Sift flour into the egg mixtureone third at a time, gently
folding after each addition.
You don't want to use theelectric mixer for this step.
Add lemon zest to the center ofthe mixture and then pour

(05:58):
melted butter around the edge ofthe batter.
Quickly but gently, fold butterinto the batter.
Use a tablespoon to spoonbatter into the molds.
You can expect it to slightlymound over the top.
That's okay.
Bake until the cakes are golden.
It takes about 14 to 17 minutes.
And here's a tip Share extraswith neighbors to build

(06:21):
community or barter for localgoods like fresh produce Ready
to level up, the new Normal BakeLife blog shares more family
recipes to master scratchcooking.
We'll even show you how to makedelicious meals with your
long-term storable foods,because your family will tire of
the same old meal, even in anemergency.

(06:42):
Start with Madelaine's.
Then explore our future recipesfor soups, breads and more to
build resilience, health andcommunity.
One dish at a time Until nexttime.
Friends, I'm Antoinette Lee,your wellness warrior here at
the New Normal Big Life podcast.
I hope one day to see you onthe river in the backcountry or
in the horse barn living yourbest life.

(07:03):
Tag New Normal Big Life ornnblblog on social media so we
can celebrate your good healthand big life.
If you're a visual learner,coming soon you can watch an
informative and entertainingversion of this video on YouTube
at new normal big life channel,or listen wherever you get your
podcasts.
Share this episode with someonewho needs it, comment on our

(07:25):
posts and drop us a message oremail Nothing personal or too
specific when you have a healthor adventure sports topic you
want us to cover and supportothers in this community.
World events are constantlyteaching everyone some very
painful lessons.
Without warning, everything wetake for granted can suddenly
fail, and if you're not preparedin advance, you really don't

(07:46):
have a chance.
The fact is, the modern worldruns on a just-in-time supply
schedule.
Even the biggest grocery storescan carry only enough food for
a few days' worth of normalshopping.
So when disaster strikes andchaos ensues at your local
stores, the odds are simplyagainst you.
If you don't have emergencyfood and gear stockpiled in

(08:07):
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(08:28):
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(08:50):
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Thank you, no.